Lauburu and Euskal Herria Designs: Opinions?

[Gustafson]

Hey everyone,

My wife grew up in Donostia and last January we spent several weeks there. We are hoping to move to Donostia in the years to come.

Since then I have been inspired and have created several designs. Please let me know what you think.



New Designs:

http://www.cafepress.com/euskal_herria


http://www.cafepress.com/pais_vasco

Designs I made 3 months or so ago:

http://www.cafepress.com/lauburu_de_mano


http://www.cafepress.com/lauburu_de_mio


http://www.cafepress.com/lauburudemano

Please let me know what you think!

[arabarra]

Hi Gustafson!

The designs are cute, but the word "Euskal Herria" as it is used in modern Basque does not fit the map. Depending of the speaker's political tendencies, in Spanish one can use the name "País Vasco" to refer the provinces of Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa (as you depict in your map) or to a wider geographical area. In Basque, on the contrary, "Euskal Herria" is always used to refer to this wider area comprising also Nafarroa and Iparralde.

Again, I´m reporting a linguistical matter of fact rather opening a political discussion....

[Gustafson]

I can see how that applies. During my visit, there where tons of these little white posters with the Spanish/Basque provinces in red and Euskal Herria and something else written on them. Those where most definitely political.

Do you know any references towards the history of the Lauburu or references to the design? My wife and I know a jeweler in Donostia that makes silver pendants and he had designed several related themes. I would love to know more about it. As I understand it relates in some fashion to the sun.

[arabarra]

Well, about its history there are lots of interpretations and theories... pick one! The solar is probably the most expanded. (in principle the lauburu symbolizes sun/life when rotating clockwise and moon/death when rotating anticlockwise).

As for the current situation in basque society, the lauburu is commonly accepted to symbolize ancient basque culture. Or to appear in any product intended to be sold to tourists, specially in the french side of the country.

Apart from its cultural meaning, the lauburu is just nice, I find, from a stetical point of view. It suggested smooth flow, doesn it?I also used to wear a silver lauburu necklace. until I came to live in Germany: the lauburu looks similar to the svastica (they probably share a common origin) and I didn´t feel like having to given explanations again and again: "no, no, really, it's not!".

[Gustafson]

Yea, Even in the states I get that on rare occasion. Most of the time though people comment with "Is that a propeller?"

How do you determine the direction of spin? are the extended balls moving into the wind (my drawing going clockwise) or being bended back from the wind like bamboo(my drawing going counterclockwise)? I am pretty sure my sketches are going clockwise, but I have always been curious about that.

[arabarra]

The direction of spin? Wow, you really love detail... Actually, you make me hesitate about it, but I've the feeling that the standard interpretation is that the spin is in the direction of the heads (your design clockwise). But I love the "being bended back from the wind like bamboo" description for the opposite spin (which additionally would also be more aerodynamical...)